Peace protesters took to the streets of Newcastle to stop people signing up to join the Army in the build-up to a war with Iraq.

Peace protesters took to the streets of Newcastle to stop people signing up to join the Army in the build-up to a war with Iraq.

Wearing the black and white stripes of Newcastle United, the Toon Army Peace Corps demonstrated outside the Army Recruitment Office in Ridley Place.

The corps leafleted workers at the centre inviting them to contact At Ease, a group which provides advice and information on conscientious objection.

Spokesman Phil Capon said: "We all got together at the peace march in Glasgow and decided to call ourselves the Toon Army Peace Corps. The idea was to be football fans united against the war.

"We devised some chants and a banner and a lot of us decided we wanted to do something more when we came back home.

"We decided to stand outside the Army recruitment centre in Newcastle to try to get our message across. It was very successful. We had lots of support.

"Loads of people were signing up to join the Toon Army and only about two people ended up signing up to join the real Army."

The Toon Army Peace Corps is hoping to take its message to St James's Park and is confident of getting the crowd singing their anti-war anthems.

Phil added: "Tony Blair claims that sending troops to the Gulf to prepare for an invasion of Iraq is part of a push for peace but he is leading us further and further towards a war which the majority of people in this country oppose.

"We call on the Government to make a real push for peace and work to resolve the situation without resorting to war."

The Toon Army Peace Corps is the latest group in the region to speak out against a war with Iraq.

Last week members of the Durham City Labour Party passed a resolution attacking Mr Blair's "disastrous pro-war policy".

Gateshead councillors have also sent a clear message to Downing Street that they oppose a war unless full support from the UN and Nato is forthcoming. A motion from Labour member Peter Mole stated that a pre-emptive attack on Iraq "is neither necessary nor justified".